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The Jacksonville, Florida community was rocked by a tragedy on Saturday.
A man donned in a bullet-resistant vest, mask, and gloves went on a shooting rampage in the area wounding multiple people and ultimately killing three at a local Dollar General store. Shortly after police had arrived, the shooter then took his own life.
Officials say that this wasn’t a random shooting, but instead a targeted, racially motivated attack. Speaking to the press on the matter, Sheriff T. K. Waters detailed what he described as a racist manifesto.
Yet, Sheriff Waters also indicated that the attacker had no prior “red flags” which would lead police to suspect him of such violence.
Further details of the attack show the perpetrator donning his tactical gear in the parking lot of Edward Waters University, an historically black institution. However, he was spotted by security and left the area to begin his rampage.
Obviously, such an attack drew responses from high-ranking political officials. On Sunday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis condemned the attack and the reasons behind it.
President Joe Biden also issued a statement on Saturday, saying Americans must “clearly and forcefully” say that “white supremacy has no place in America.”
Such an event also tends to bring up a conversation on the place of firearms among the American populace. This conversation was struck between a reporter and Sheriff Waters during his briefing. Waters noted that the guns used by the assailant were purchased legally, and that this was a case of a bad actor and not a bad weapon.
Some on the right have hailed Waters’ comments as a common sense response to an improper argument.